Little Robot Lost
by Emme2589
Summary: When Chibi-Robo accidentally falls into Jenny's backpack before she goes to school, he ends up becoming hopelessly lost. Can Telly find him before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

Chibi-Robo did one more quick scan of the floor before putting his toothbrush away.

"Ah..." Telly said next to him, "It's good to see a job well done."

Chibi-Robo flipped open his green _Yes!_ sign to show that he agreed.

"Oh. The night is almost over. Let's head back to the Chibi-House!"

Chibi-Robo followed close behind his best friend and mentor as they entered the living room. It was January, and so Jenny would go back to school in the morning. Not only that, but Christmas had been celebrated merely weeks ago. Chibi didn't understand the concept until it was explained to him. It was a time for being with family and friends to gather around a pine tree eating cookies and exchanging gifts. It was fun, and Chibi found his little black cameras smiling whenever a present was opened.

Now though, the excitement had worn off, and it was back to work for Chibi-Robo.

"Great work out there!" Telly remarked once inside, "Oh! Ten thousand seven hundred and twelve Happy points! That's a new record!"

Chibi beamed with pride.

"Alright! Now that it's daytime, let's get out there and make some folks happy!" he pulled out a few confetti poppers and set them off. Chibi watched the colorful paper fall before he collected the popper trash.

"Uh, yeah...sorry about that...my bad..." Telly noted, a bit embarrassed.

As the day began, Chibi started in the foyer and worked his way across the room, collecting trash along the way. He had just climbed onto the small table on the other side when an eager Jenny bounded down the stairs, passing Chibi and dropping something big and heavy on the floor.

"I'm ready for school!" Jenny still wore a frog hat, but didn't say "ribbit" quite so much anymore. She really only did it now to annoy people, which she found amusing.

What had caught Chibi's eye though was the giant thing on the floor. It looked to be a backpack, full of interesting things like paper and pencils. While he was looking inside, however, he didn't realize the precarious situation he was in, that is, until he slipped and fell, plunging into heavy darkness.

He blinked, trying to refocus his cameras, when he found himself violently jostled from side to side.

"Have fun at school, Jenny!"

Chibi felt a cold chill run through his metal back. He was leaving the house!?

Something told him it would be a long day.

Chibi tried desperately to reorient himself in the tiny confinement, but it was impossible with how much everything was moving around. He couldn't see anything, and his hearing was only catching vague, muffled sounds. He found himself becoming truly afraid for the first time in a very long time. He had felt powerless before, but at least then he had been able to do _something_ to help! Now though, it felt as though he had no control of the situation, and somehow felt he never would.

How far was he from home? Where was he going? Did Telly know he wasn't in the house anymore!? How long would he be gone!? These were the questions that haunted Chibi's processor the whole ride.

Finally, after what had felt like an eternity, the jostling came to a steady halt and Chibi found himself lying flat on mostly solid ground. He waited a bit for his CPU to calm down from all the constant swinging. Once he felt strong enough to stand, he did so slowly, afraid his head would hit something in the darkness. After assessing where he was in conjunction with everything else, he heard a zipper unzipping and light poured into the small place. Chibi took a moment to readjust his cameras.

Working up the courage to climb up, he carefully got himself high enough to peek out from where he was.

His eyes found a rough carpeted floor, almost spotless, with metal rods as thick as Chibi's head extending up into chairs. He noticed all the shoes that were connected to children sitting in those chairs, along with other things like backpacks and small desks.

He came to the realization that he was in a classroom. This is what was called, "school".

He couldn't help but feel very intimidated. It had taken him a couple weeks to get used to the Sanderson's house, even though it was technically small. He lowered his head back down, feeling the harsh light was giving him a headache. What was he going to do? He felt overwhelmed and hopelessly lost.

He looked upwards, taking comfort in the fact that at least he was with Jenny. She didn't see him though, as she was just trying to focus on not falling asleep. He couldn't blame her. What was being said was pretty uninteresting.

Chibi was still chilled, though. He was far from home, and in an unfamiliar place.

He reasoned that he shouldn't leave Jenny's backpack, as that seemed to be the only link to his home, but just as he had that thought, a bell could be heard and Chibi found himself tumbling forward. Before he could even stop his head from spinning, the room was empty except for the teacher.

Chibi was once again struck with ice-cold fear. Jenny and her things were nowhere in sight, and the teacher was busy with something else, not even knowing she wasn't alone in the room.

Chibi glanced at the clock above the closed door and felt even more apprehensive. It was 3:00, the same time Jenny always came home.

He was lost.


	2. Chapter 2

Telly Vision was talking with Mrs. Sanderson as she scrubbed dishes in the sink. She said the chore was easier with a friendly voice nearby, and Telly was happy to talk both her ears off, sometimes inquiring about things he saw on TV. He only stopped his mindless chatter when Mrs. Sanderson asked a basic question;

"Telly, have you seen Chibi-Robo around here?"

He was about to answer cheerfully, saying that he was probably just around finding and cleaning up messes as usual, but then he actually thought about it. Normally, one of his sensors could tell him where Chibi was and a general idea of what he was doing around the house, but that sensor came up blank. He felt his eyes shrink to reflect his sudden shock and worry.

That could only mean one thing.

Chibi-Robo was not in the house.

"Telly?" Mrs. Sanderson turned to the tiny robot when his chatter ceased, "What's wrong?"

"Ch-Ch-Chibi..." Telly stammered, trying to think of a reason his Chibi-Sensor was blank. A malfunction? An error? A virus in his system? No, they were working fine, they just couldn't find their target.

Oh no...

How far away was he?

Was he ok? Was he lost and alone?

Was he...

broken?

Tiny sweat marks flew off of Telly as he shouted, " _I have to_ _find Chibi_ - _Robo!_ "

And he was gone before Mrs. Sanderson could inquire further.

Chibi-Robo did one more sweep of the room before he lay on the ground, putting one foot on his knee. It was now just past evening, when he would normally hear Telly cheerfully announce the end of the day. Oh, how he missed his old friend. Since he was first built, Telly was always there, encouraging him. He was annoying sometimes, but Chibi's job and life would be very dull without the constant chatter of his best friend. What was the human term? Maybe they were even like...brothers...?

Ugh...Chibi couldn't stay in one place for too long. He had cleaned the classroom from front to back - that would be a nice surprise for the teacher in the morning - for lack of anything else to do. The teacher had a lamp on her desk, with a cord extending down to the outlet below, so Chibi was able to climb up on top of the desk. He even spent two minutes scrubbing a particularly stubborn stain. What was that anyway, coffee?

His logic was that if he stayed in the classroom all night, Jenny would come back in the morning and he could go home, but there was a fear tugging at the back of his mind. What if Jenny _didn't_ come back? What if she only needed this class one day and then she would head somewhere else? And what if someone else found him and tried to take him to _their_ home? He might never see his family again!

He couldn't take it anymore. He needed to get out.

He found that earlier, the teacher had closed the blinds, so it would be tricky to climb out the window. He couldn't fit under the door, though, and it was locked, so the only other way out was the window. He looked up at it. It was so high! How could he get to it?

After a bit more thinking, he got an idea. He managed to climb up the back of the chair closest to the window, (it was very tricky) and got up to the seat. He crouched a moment to "catch his breath", so to speak, then he looked up. He was closer now. He just needed to reach the cord for the blinds and he would be home-free.

It was so far away, though...

He thought that if he could get up here, he would be able to use his Chibi-Copter to hover to the cord, but from this view, that seemed impossible. Even from the edge of the seat, the cord was nearly four feet away, and it was two feet higher than him. Even with all the luck in the world, he wouldn't be able to reach it. Then he got another idea.

He reached up as high as his arms would allow and scrambled up onto the wooden plank connected to the chair that acted as the desk. He nearly fell, but he used all the strength of his thin metal arms to hoist himself up. He was a bit closer, but it was still too far.

It was then that Chibi's vision began to flash red.

Ugh! His power was low! He had received an infini-battery from his alien friends, but he had broken it in a dangerous episode a few months ago, so it had to be replaced with a normal battery. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting to charge before his dangerous climb.

He only had 20 watts to get out the window and find another outlet, or else use the outlet near the floor and have to climb the desk all over again. Why didn't he charge beforehand!?

He reasoned out that the building must have an outlet outside somewhere, so he decided that climbing the desk twice wasn't worth the certainty. He hoped he was right. After he made that deduction, he pulled out his blaster and shot the cord. It swung back a bit. Once it swung in his direction, he shot it again. He continued this process until the cord was scraping against the wall, swinging back and forth somewhat violently. Because of this, it was just out of Chibi's reach. Frustrated, he shot again and again, until small dents began to form on the wall behind the swinging cord. Finally, Chibi simply jumped when it was close to him.

He realized his mistake a second too late. _Why didn't_ _I use my copter!?_

He grabbed the cord with one hand, (his blaster was still in his other) sliding down until he was at the bottom. He clung to it and squeezed his little eyes shut, fearful of hitting the ground and having to start all over. When he felt the jostling subside, he found that he was only a couple inches off the ground. It seemed that when he slid down the cord, it opened the blinds. Huh.

By this point though, he only had 2 watts left, and the nearest outlet was a few feet away.

He carefully climbed down and stepped forward.

2.1

Closer...

1.7

Almost...

1.2

It was there, so close, but Chibi already felt his system shutting down...

0.3

0.2

0.1

It was too far. Chibi couldn't make it to the outlet on time. He would simply die here, or someone else would find him and take him away.

0

He hoped at the very least for the latter option...


	3. Chapter 3

Chibi slowly felt his consciousness coming online, his system rebooting. He suddenly had 20 watts again. What was going on? He was alive, but he wasn't plugged in...

And then he remembered that he had bought a spare battery a few days ago and hadn't used it yet. It had just kicked in, and so he had enough to get to the outlet. He praised his decision to get a spare profusely, and made a mental note to get another one as soon as he got home.

What was he doing again? Oh yes. The blinds.

He grasped the cord firmly and began to climb. It was a long one, but he soon made it to the top and stood on the windowsill. The classroom looked slightly less intimidating from this high up. With 900 watts under his belt, he faced the window. It had a kind of swinging hinge mechanism on it that allowed the window to open just wide enough for some fresh air, or a tiny robot to slip through.

He saw that the window was opened by pushing it, so he leaned against it with all his weight. Nothing happened. _Come_ _on...please..._ He leaned harder, pushing as much as he could-!

Suddenly, the window jerked, and he was sent tumbling down. He was hit with a rush of freezing-cold air just before he was blinded by pure white. He realized that it had cushioned his fall, because his battery didn't suffer any damage, thank heavens.

As he reoriented himself, he tried to think of what the white was called. It was cold, but it was melting against Chibi's body. As his cameras struggled to focus, he realized it was made of tiny ice crystals. It had a name, though...

Snow. The word came to him just as he dug himself out. It was called snow.

He suddenly fell backwards, landing on his back with a loud _clunk!_ He had slipped on the ice. Trying to regain his balance, he carefully stepped, watching for where the ice was. Though, at this point, it was very late at night, and the ice was thin against the pavement, so he couldn't see it very well at all.

He kept struggling until the first rays of sun peeked over the snow-covered mountains.

"Are you sure he didn't go to school with you!?" Telly asked for the millionth time.

"Ugh...yes, Telly. I swear! I checked, he wasn't in my backpack, and he didn't cling to my shoe or anything!"

"But that's when he disappeared!" Telly flew back and forth, "Ohhh! I'm sorry, Chibi-Robo!"

Jenny shook her head, "You're getting something mixed up. I know one thing for sure, Chibi didn't come to school with me."

"Where else could he have gone!?" Telly argued, "He simply disappeared from my radar! He couldn't have gotten that far in such a short time by himself!"

"Telly..."

"I'm serious!" Telly frantically flew back and forth, "Ohhh! This is very _very bad!_ "

Telly could just hear Jenny let out an exasperated, "ribbit" before she climbed the stairs, "Whatever. I have homework."

She simply brushed off the tiny, very worried bot because he was always like that. Little did she know that this time, Telly's worry was well-placed.

"Chibi-Robo..." Telly flew up the stairs, "Jeeennyyy! I'm coming to school with you tomorrow!"

"Telly, I'm sure Chibi is just around somewhere." Jenny reasoned.

"No! If he was _'just around somewhere'_ , he would show up on my radar!" Telly narrowed his eyes at the young girl, "You really think that he's _'just around somewhere'!?_ "

Jenny stopped and rose an eyebrow, "What are you getting at?"

"Don't you get it, Jenny?"

"Chibi-Robo is lost."

Telly's nervous eyes darted around the hallway as students headed for class. He felt even worse, realizing Chibi would feel even more lost than him in a place like this, "Is your classroom nearby?"

"Yeah." Jenny replied, "Right in here..."

As she opened the door to her classroom, a different voice drifted out, "...so clean in here! Was the janitor working late?"

Telly stopped.

"No. He went home the same time you did."

"That's odd. I wonder who could have cleaned my room..."

Telly and Jenny shared a knowing glance.

"Excuse me, Miss!" Telly started.

"Oh! Jenny, who's your little friend?" it was a woman, and she had an air of business to her. Telly guessed she was the teacher.

"Um, my name's Telly..." he said, "But that's not important right now!"

"We're looking for a little Chibi-Robo." Jenny explained, "he's a robot, about this tall..." she held her hands 4 inches apart, "he has little black eyes and no mouth."

"No, I haven't seen anyone like that."

Telly's heart sank, "Oh..."

"Well, he's likely the one who cleaned your room." Jenny replied matter-of-factly, "Do you think he left?"

"Well, I locked my door last night, and the window was shut tight." the teacher replied, "If he was here, I don't think he could get out."

Telly began flying haphazardly around the room, "Chibi-Rooobooooo!"

"Telly..." Jenny said.

" _Chibi-Rooobooooo!_ "

Jenny shook her head, "Telly! If he was here he'd be out by now! There aren't many places to hide, and I'm sure he misses us!"

Telly stopped, letting himself droop a little, "Oh..."

Jenny gasped, "Look! The window's open!"

Telly flew to it, "Oh! You're right! And there's a disturbance in the snow down below! This must be where he went!"

"How long ago?" Jenny asked worriedly, "When did he leave the room?"

"I don't know...ohhh..." Telly was panicking again, "Jennyyy!"

"Hey, don't cry..." Jenny said, "You'll find him..."

" _I'll_ find him?"

"I've got school, remember?"

"Oh..." Telly couldn't help but feel disappointed, "Right..."

"That's ok, though." Jenny tried to smile encouragingly, "If you haven't found him by three o' clock, I'll gladly help in the search!"

Telly suddenly felt very alone.

The bell rang and students filed in, "Sorry, Telly. Good luck!" Jenny tried to smile as she sat at her desk.

"And be sure to thank him for cleaning my room for me!" the teacher added, "I've never known anyone who could get that coffee stain out of the carpet!"

"Will do..." Telly replied, flying out the window. He just caught Jenny wave goodbye before he disappeared into the morning. As soon as he was gone, Jenny's encouraging smile fell. Maybe Chibi really iwas/i in danger...

She found herself unable to concentrate all day.


	4. Chapter 4

He felt sick.

Chibi-Robo was blinking in the darkness, a musty kind of scent drifted into his sensors, along with an odd rushing-water sound, making him feel even more sick. He was so sick that he almost felt like he would vomit.

Almost.

Of course, he was a robot, so he had no stomach or throat or any kind of organs, really. But he still felt something roll around the battery acid in the pit of his metal torso.

He wished the pain would go away.

Chibi checked his battery power. 367 watts, less than half of full power, and he was lost. Last he remembered, he had been desperately trying to regain his balance on the slippery ice, when he fell through the bars of a metal grate in the road.

A metal...grate...?

The musty smell...the odd noises...

His head finally stopped pounding, and his cameras adjusted in the darkness. Just as he had feared, he was in the sewer.

He had never been in the sewer before. The closest he ever got was when he traversed the sink drain at home to retrieve Mr. Sanderson's wedding ring.

He peeled himself up off the ground and stumbled until his hands found a wall. He was afraid of battery acid stinging the inside of his neck, but it never did. A dreadful thought occurred to him;

There were no mice down here...were there? Chibi hated mice. They scuttled everywhere, searching for scraps to snack on, and Chibi's metallic shine attracted their attention. Plus they were monstrous compared to him, and every time they bit, his battery would be damaged.

And the noises they made! _Ugh!_

Chibi pushed the thought from his mind. He needed to get out, so he focused on that. An objective. He took one step and slid, just a little bit. Fear gripped him again as flashbacks of sliding on the ice painfully tore through his head. No. Focus.

Once the terror subsided, he gingerly took another step, he didn't slide. Then he took another, testing his footing. Then another. He didn't dare go too fast, as his memory so plainly reminded him, sliding around wouldn't help in the slightest. Carefully...gently...

He slid, then he stopped.

 _If only Telly were here..._ he couldn't help but think, _He could help me out..._

 _Someone..._

 _Help..._

No. Focus.

So he stepped, again, he didn't slide...

He stepped again...

And he slid.

He opened his eyes, but his cameras only detected darkness. The foul smell hit him head-on, flushing out the rest of his sanity. He was going to die.

He was going to die, and Telly would never find him...

Never...never...

Never...

No.

No, stop this! It's not helping! Get up! You're smart, figure this out!

Chibi clung to his rationality. It was the only thing that could help him now. He turned, blindly feeling for anything he could grab. Finally, he caught something. His body jerked to a halt, but he held on. He pulled with all of his strength, and his head collided with metal, but he held on. His "stomach" did flip-flops, but he held on. Finally, his eyes met air and light.

 _"What's this? A robot?"_

Maybe Chibi should have been relieved to hear another voice, but he was terrified...and exhausted. His ordeal had damaged his battery, and so his power was down to 30 watts. His vision began to flash red.

"Hey! You're one of those Chibi-Robos! Aren'cha?"

Chibi couldn't respond. He was drowning in fatigue. And fear.

"Aw. You poor thing! Hey, there's a Citrusoft building nearby! Maybe they can help you!" Chibi felt himself being gently picked up, and he flinched.

"Oh. Did I hurt you?" the person stroked Chibi's cheek with one finger, "It's alright, Buddy. I'm a friend..."

Chibi closed his eyes and focused on the whirring of his CPU. It calmed him. There was nothing he could do now. His fate rested solely on this person. He didn't know if they truly wanted to hurt him, but he couldn't even focus his cameras anymore. All he could do was slowly accept whatever was coming and let his system go into standby mode.

Skid marks covered the ice across the pavement. Telly followed them, recognizing the footprints of his beloved friend. He was getting more and more worried for the poor guy. _Chibi-Robo! When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna make you_ pay _for making me worry so much!_ Telly prayed he was still alive.

Finally, the grooves in the ice leveled out. They stretched all the way across the road, to a sewer grate.

"No..." Telly hovered around the grate, searching. The tracks stopped there, "No! Impossible! Does not compute! Please say this is just a really bad joke!"

It wasn't.

And he knew it.

Finally, collecting himself and all the courage he could muster, he plunged into the depths below.

 _Why'd it have to be a sewer level!?_


	5. Chapter 5

Chibi awoke to harsh, artificial light. He felt something tug at his insides, almost equivalent to the feeling of having the stomach flu. It was awful, though, since Chibi couldn't get rid of that sensation. He simply had to live with it, at least for now.

iTelly.../i Chibi called in his mind, iPlease help me, Telly...please.../i

He should have never left the classroom.

He let curiosity and impatience get the best of him, and now he was hopelessly lost. He was alone and far from home...

How far...?

He didn't know. He was sick, and afraid, and _exhausted_. He couldn't find the strength to do anything. His arms and legs were stiff, and his head pounded with an increasing headache. He just wanted it to stop.

Maybe...maybe if he let his battery exhaust itself...he wouldn't feel the pain anymore...

But...

Chibi finally found the strength to shakily stand, banging his elbows and knees on the ground to free them from dried sewage. A pang of nostalgia hit him when he came to his senses and recognized the building he was in.

Citrusoft.

His birthplace.

Seeing familiar sights filled him with determination. He gathered his courage and headed off, trying to find a sense of where to go. On a far wall, he found a map of the building. It was Citrusoft's main headquarters, so naturally, it was the biggest. Four floors were originally built, with more added later as the company grew. The ground floor covered designs and prototypes, while the next few floors housed working employees. The basement was dedicated to mass-production, where robots would eventually be packaged and shipped. Chibi realized he was actually on the ground floor, so if he headed left, he would come to the front desk. Hopefully, Telly could find a way to him from there.

And if he didn't...

Well, then Chibi would need to think of a new plan.

How did he get here? He didn't understand, but that could be addressed later. For now, Chibi focused on his new objective; the front desk. Maybe he would get help there.

Or not.

Meanwhile, Telly was still hovering all around the sewer. He had lost track of Chibi-Robo and was beginning to lose hope.

Did Chibi...

No...

Telly found more marks, likely where Chibi was sliding.

They disappeared at the running sewage.

Telly spoke softly and slowly, almost afraid the words would choke him;

"Chibi-Robo...?"

The painful realization hit him hard.

Chibi-Robo was dead.

When Chibi was almost to the front desk, he felt something tug at him, but not in the same way it had before. This was a plea, and it was full of despair.

Chibi blinked. It was Telly.

Telly believed he was dead.

Telly was nearby!

 _No! Telly! It's me, Chibi-Robo!_ he wanted to scream, _It's me! I'm alive! I'm ok!_

 _Chibi-Robo...why did you leave that classroom!?_ Telly thought as waterfalls poured from his eyes, _Why did you come out here!? Why did you get yourself killed!?_

 _I didn't even get to say goodbye..._

Chibi was at a real loss. For the first time in his limited, robotic life, he had no idea what to do. The situation was dire. Soon, Telly would head back home, believing him dead, and Chibi may never see his family again.

The thought of the Sanderson's, Telly, Giga-Robo, and all the toys crying over his supposed death broke his little metal heart.

What should he do?

What _can_ he do?

 _Signal...channel...radar...?_

Radar!

Of course! His Chibi-Radar! That acted as a signal! Excitedly, he pulled out the radar just as he felt Telly's signal fading.

Telly stopped, "Chibi-Robo?"

He knew that feeling. It was the feeling he got whenever Chibi used his radar!

"Chibi-Robo!?"

Chibi felt the change. It worked! He signaled again.

" _I'm coming, Chibi-Robo!_ " Telly soared through the air like a bullet, anxiously following the signal.

Chibi was dying with anticipation. Soon he would apologize for making Telly worry so much, and then they would go home and Chibi could once again collect Happy points to his heart's content. Maybe Telly would even sing for him! He couldn't wait!

"Chibi-Robo!?"

Chibi watched, his eyes first widening, then turning upward in an eager smile.

"Chibi-Robo!"

Telly and Chibi ran towards each other, arms outward, ready to embrace the other and cry with tears of endless joy!

It was then that Chibi-Robo's world went black.


	6. Chapter 6

_Clang!_

Chibi's eyes flew open.

Immediately, he shook off his confusion and disorientation. _Telly! Telly where are you!?_

"Chibi-Robo!"

Chibi's head swiveled around frantically.

"I'm over here, Chibi-Robo!"

Chibi's eyes finally found his friend, but just at that moment, he was jerked forward, his battery acid once again flipping inside him. He was on a conveyor belt, slowly trekking towards a fire. He and Telly were separated by a large sheet of glass.

The fire melted down old metals to make them into something new.

"D-D-Don't worry!" sweat marks flew from Telly's head, "I'll f-f-fix this!"

Chibi realized that if he didn't do something, he was going to die. He tried to get up, but he was stuck! He focused on wiggling free.

He also knew that Telly didn't stammer unless he was very nervous.

Something was going to go wrong.

"Chibi-Robo!" Telly cried, getting more and more panicky, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I can't do it! I can't save you! I can't stop the machine!"

Chibi's eyes narrowed into determined half-circles. He waved away from himself.

"What!? I can't leave you here!"

 _Get help! If you can't stop the machine, someone else will!_

"Chibi-Robo! I can't go!"

Chibi pointed to his panicked companion, then at himself. He signaled to the controls.

Telly finally nodded in understanding, "OK. I'll find someone who can help! I p-p-promise!"

Chibi turned back to the fire and blanched. It was _right there!_

Thinking fast, Chibi pulled out his blaster and fired near his feet. This pulled the loose trash free and allowed him to stand and get away from his impending doom. The conveyor belt jerked again, sending him splat on his face.

He felt the heat on his foot.

He scrambled to a standing position and sprinted, stopping to grab his plug so it wouldn't drag or get caught on things. He didn't rest until he was at the beginning of the machine, where scrap metal from around the building was dumped. Of course, he couldn't climb the chute, so he just sat around and waited for Telly to come back.

He was taking a long time...

 _Clang!_

Chibi shook off the shock and looked around. He was lying on his stomach, his arms pinned beneath him.

 _No no no!_

The machine was advancing forward. He was soon merely feet away from the fire.

" _Chibi-Robo!_ " Telly cried, "Quick! Shut off the machine! That Chibi-Robo is still alive!"

Chibi couldn't take his eyes off the fire that was inching closer and closer. Shock and terror mixed with the heat of the machine...it was all too much for him.

He didn't even get to run his battery out before the flames consumed him.

He was just 10 inches away...

" _Chibi-Robo!_ "

9...

" _Turn that machine off now!_ "

8...

"I'm trying! The lever's stuck!"

7...

Chibi-Robo flipped open his green _Yes!_ sign.

6...

"Chibi-Robo! Don't say that!"

5...

"You can't die! I can't lose you again!"

4...

"I didn't even get to tell you how much I care!"

3...

"I will not let you die! I would never-!"

2...

Chibi-Robo closed his eyes.

1...

 **"CHIBI-ROBOOO!"**

 _FWOOSH!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Colors._

 _That was his first impression. Swirling colors surrounded him. It was serene, like watching dyes mix together. He couldn't feel any of his appendages, but instead of feeling helpless, he was at peace._

 _He knew that some part of him was left intact, but he couldn't even recall what had happened before this._

 _He couldn't even remember his own name._

 _300...500...800..._

 _And then bells sounded._

 _"Chibi-Robo..."_

Chibi lay motionless on the repair table, his outlet plugged into the wall. It was chugging watts into him, but he didn't seem to stir.

Telly looked on in despair, _"I've failed you...I'm so sorry, Chibi-Robo...I failed to protect you...I failed...I f-f-failed to be your friend..."_

"Awww..." Mr. Sanderson looked at Telly in deep sadness, "It wasn't your fault! If only I had known that Chibi was ours...I would have taken him home before sending him to Citrusoft!"

 _"N-No..."_ Telly insisted, _"This was my fault..."_

Mr. Sanderson sighed, glancing again at the motionless Chibi-Robo, "If...if he doesn't wake up-!"

 _"He will! He h-has to!"_ Telly snapped, refusing to accept what might have happened.

"Telly..." Mr. Sanderson took a shaky breath, "Worst-case scenario. Hypothetically, if he does not wake up...we'll give him a proper burial. We won't buy any other models, and we'll never replace you."

Telly watched his own tears cover the tabletop, _"Th-thank y-you...b-b-but he will wake up...he has to...he just...he has to..."_

Mr. Sanderson watched sadly, already mentally planning how Chibi's official funeral would go. He had nearly given up when something happened.

Chibi's little hand twitched.

Telly was finally filled with hope, _"Chibi-Robo...?"_

He heard the tell-tale sound of small processors beginning to whir, cameras beginning to focus. Small movement, ever so slight, but it was there.

Mr. Sanderson barely dared to hope, "Chibi-Robo?"

 _"Ch...Chibi...?"_ Telly watched intently, waiting for Chibi-Robo to stand up and spin his head around, like he always did when he had a little jump-start.

And then, Chibi's eyes opened, slowly blinking.

Telly couldn't stop staring. _Please let him be alive...please..._ please...

Chibi turned his head to the side, looking around.

"Chibi-Robo!" Telly finally stopped crying, "Are you alright?"

Chibi closed his eyes, then opened them again. Chibi-Robo...

 _Yes!_

Telly's eyes widened, then he squealed with joy, "Chibi-Robo! You're alive!"

Chibi stood up and spun his head around, then he locked his eyes on his best friend and mentor.

He remembered now.

Chibi ran to Telly and embraced him.

"Chibi-Robo!" Telly reached with both his little arms, "I'm so glad that you're ok!"

"Chibi!" Mr. Sanderson beamed, "Good to have ya back, Buddy!"

Chibi stepped back to look at Telly, and blinked in surprise. Telly was looking downcast.

"I'm sorry, Chibi-Robo..." Telly wouldn't look him in the eye, "You almost died because of me...because I lost track of you...I should have been paying attention when you were no longer in range...I should have... _I should have..."_

Chibi shook him to make him stop and pay attention to him, _No!_

Telly was blaming himself. That was not gonna fly with Chibi-Robo.

"Wh-what?"

Chibi flipped open his _No!_ sign multiple times to show his point.

"He's right, Telly." Mr. Sanderson replied, "There's no way you could've known he would get lost! Blaming yourself is only gonna hurt!"

Chibi gave a slight nod. Exactly. Telly could not blame himself, because it wasn't Telly's fault.

To show his point further, Chibi pointed to himself, _We have no one to blame but me. I should have been more careful when Jenny dropped her backpack. I should have stayed in the classroom. I should have stopped trying to get out of the sewers._

 _I should have watched my head on the conveyor belt._

"Chibi," Mr. Sanderson, "Blaming yourself won't do good either. What's in the past is in the past. Let's just move on, alright?"

Chibi looked at Telly. Telly looked at Chibi. No one said anything for one long moment.

"Alright..." Telly finally replied.

Chibi flashed his _Yes!_ sign.

"Good." Mr. Sanderson nodded, apparently satisfied, "Now let's go home."

Chibi watched Telly talk to Mrs. Sanderson. He had just finished his sweep of the kitchen and was sitting on a kitchen sponge to rest while Mrs. Sanderson washed dishes. Telly was once again doing what he did best; chatting with anyone and everyone that happened to be nearby.

Chibi was listening for awhile, but he soon found himself beginning to lose focus. He was still tired from his ordeal the previous day and just wanted to take it easy for some time, maybe water some flowers or hitch a ride on Giga-Robo's shoulder. It wasn't long before his metal eyelids began to droop.

"...and it was reeeally scary! But Chibi-Robo managed to pull through! Didn't you Chibi?" Telly turned to his friend, "Chibi?"

Chibi was laying on his side, peaceful "Z"s drifting off his head. He had fallen asleep.

Telly giggled to himself, "I should take him back to the Chibi-House..."

"Alright." Mrs. Sanderson replied, "You take care of yourselves."

The next time Chibi opened his eyes, he found himself staring at the ceiling of the Chibi-House. He stood and stretched his arms, feeling quite refreshed.

"Oh!" Telly exclaimed, "You're awake!"

Chibi turned to his friend, a small smile on his cameras.

"How are you feeling?" Telly asked, "Are you alright?"

 _Yes!_

"Good..." Telly sighed, "Dum de dum de dum..."

Chibi turned and pulled his plug from the wall, setting it down on the ground.

"Don't worry about a thing, Chibi-Robo!" Telly assured as the exited the Chibi-House, "I promise! I'll never let you out of range again! OK?"

Chibi inwardly rolled his eyes. Telly worried a bit too much sometimes. _Yes!_

"Good!" Telly replied with a nod, "Rest assured, you will be safe from now on! I'll be here even when..."

Chibi stopped listening and crossed his arms, beginning to walk away. Telly's voice followed him everywhere.

Ugh...Chibi would never be alone again, would he?

Well...

Maybe that was a good thing.

Yeah. Chibi thought to himself. After all, he didn't like being alone.

And neither did Telly.

*** THE END ***


End file.
